Whistle Initiative in San Francisco Against ICE Deportations

Residents of San Francisco have started distributing whistles as a way to communicate and organize against ICE deportations.

Activists and organizations have taken it upon themselves to hand out these whistles to empower locals in their fight against federal immigration enforcement, as reported by SF Gate.

The idea behind the whistle code is fairly simple yet effective. Three short whistles signal that ICE is nearby, while one long whistle indicates someone has been taken into custody.

The nonprofit Frameline, known for its LGBTQ+ Film Festival, is establishing “whistle stops” throughout the city where residents can pick up free whistles and join anti-ICE protests. They mentioned on Instagram that this initiative was inspired by similar endeavors in Chicago.

Gabriela Siaton, the Roxy Theater manager, noted in an email that her venue is among those participating in the whistle stop. Interestingly, the whistles they received were entirely distributed within just one day.

“I was unaware of the whistle code until now,” Siaton remarked. “We knew there was buzz on social media about ICE agents being spotted. We’re thankful that the whistle allows for a quicker response in those moments.”

This trend seems to have roots in Chicago’s anti-ICE activities, where groups are convening to collect and hand out whistles.

The concept is not entirely new; similar tactics have been used since at least the 1970s, primarily by LGBTQ+ communities who utilized whistles to alert others to potential hate crimes in their neighborhoods.

“Inspired by the strong history of resistance within the queer community—like the Butterfly Brigade in San Francisco using whistles to protect one another from violence—we’re proud to continue this tradition,” said Allegra Madsen, Frameline’s executive director, in her comments to SF Gate.